Button-fastener.



C. F. GAUNT. BUTTON FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.19M.

1 1 92,4;1 3. Patented July 25, 1916.

Fig. l.

CHARLES F. GAUNT' mvzm'ox E ATTORNEY IGE.

CHARLES F. GAUNT, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

BUTTON-FASTENER.

Specification of Iletters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed June 8, 1914. Serial No. 843,841.

To all whom it may cmwem Be it known that I, CHARLES FREDERICK GAUNT, of Birmingham, England, temporarily residing in the city of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention has reference to button fasteners adapted more particularly for use with buttons for uniforms and buttons for washing dresses, or for Waistcoats or for other garments, in which the button is provided with a wire loop shank or with a pierced flat metal shank so arranged as to prevent the button from turning in the hole which is made in the garment to accommodate the shank. This is important when the button bears some device or the like which is required to be Vertical the right \Vtly Ill).

My improved button fastener is one of that type which consists of a long link formed from a length of wire or metal strip which is bent at one end of the link so as to form two arms, one of which is longer than the other, the longer arm being bent into a loop at the other end of the link and meeting the end of the shorter arm which forms a spring arm as in a cheap kind of spring hook, this short arm being bent into what I call the center loop to engagewith the button shank when the fastener is securing the button in the button hole. A button fastener of this type does not have to be removed from the button to enable the latter to be removed from the garment, but all that is necessary is for the button fastener to he slid through the button shank so that the latter is then situated at one end of the link like fastener which with the button shank can now be withdrawn through the button hole of the garment.

The object of my invention is to provide a button fastener of this type which will be cheap to manufacture, lasting in wear and thoroughly efficient for the purpose for which it is designed. For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a button fastener constructed in accordance with this invention and shown in position in a button shank which latter is shown in section, the said button fastener being in the position which it occupies when securing a button in the button hole; Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same button fastener with the'button moved up to the end of the fastener as when being withdrawn with the fastener from the button hole; and Fig. 3 shows the same button and button fastener with the latter about to be engaged with the loopedbutton shank.

According to this invention the button fastener is made of a piece of wire or metal strip of suitable length the ends of which are preferably cut off inclined. This is bent cross wise at 1 so as to form two arms 2, 3, of unequal length, the longer arm 2 being bent into a loop form at 4 at the other end of the fastener. The arms 2, 3, are closed together at 5 for certain distance from the looped end 1, and about midway between the ends 1, 4: the shorter arm 3 is bent outwardly into what I call a center loop 6 to be engaged by the button shank. Beyond this center loop 6 the arm 3 is continued so that its inclined end 7 meets the inclined end 8 of the arm 2. Between the inner side of the arm 2 and the portion of the arm 3 where it leaves the loop 6 there is left a space 9 which is slightly narrower than the thickness of the part 10 of the button shank so that a slight force is necessary to force the portion 10 of the button shank through this comparatively narrow neck 9. My object in pressing the portion of the two limbstogether at 5 as above described and shown in Figs. 1 and 3 is to make the spring arm 3 which is formed with the loop 6 considerably stronger than if, as is the case in some other button fasteners, the limbs 2, 3, were at some distance apart right along from end to end.

Fig. 3 will serve to illustrate how the spring arm 3 with the loop 6 is strengthened by being closed against the arm 2 at 5 as it will be seen that when the outer portion of the arm 3 with the loop 6 is being pressed toward the other limb 2 by the insertion of the loop 10 of the button shank between the two ends 7 8, of the fastener, the portion had to spring from its bent end 1. By mak ing the button fastener in this way with a comparatively stiff spring arm as 3 the spring arm is not liable to be weakened by constant use.

The button fastener is used as follows Assuming the button fastener is attached to the button shank, as shown in Fig. 2, with the button shank at the larger looped end 4 then the other end 1 of the button fastener and button shank are pushed through the button hole and the button fastener is moved through the button shank and the latter forced through the narrow neck 9 and into the loop 6 as shown in Fig. 1, and the fastener is now perfectly secure as the button shank cannot pass back through the narrow neck 10 without a certain amount of force being applied to it. Before removing the button from the button hole the button shank has to be forced through the narrow neck to the looped endl as shown in Fig. 2 when the button shank and button fastener are free to be removed from the button hole. Thus after In order to prevent displacement of button shanks of small diameter from the loop 6 the limb 2 is formed with an inward rise 13, the upper shoulder of which acts as a fulcrum for the end 7 as illustrated in Fig. 3 thus permitting the shank to be entered into the upper end of the fastener by springing the end 7 of the wire and when this end 7 is released the shank may be forced through the narrow neck 9 as above mentioned.

What I claim is as follows:

A unitary device for the purpose set forth consisting of a pair of limbs folded together and sprung apart at one end and having their ends beveled and abutting, one of the limbs having a center loop and the limbs being in contact from the loop approximately to one end of the device, the other limb having an inward rise in juxta-position with the loop.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES r. GAUNT.

WVitnesses GORDON G. CooKE, WILLIAM J. C. HEWETSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

